Petunia plant named `Magic Star`

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct horticultural variety of petunia. This petunia denominated `Magic Star` is a variety selected and bred from self-fertilized seeds of MS-01, possessed by the applicant. This petunia has excellent cold resistance and resistance to rain and bears bright red purple large flowers with yellowish white margins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Petunias flower for a long time and will flower one after another fromspring through autumn, thus resulting in being widely cultivated as anornamental flower in flowerbeds, flowerpots etc.

There are a considerably large number of varieties of petunias havingflowers of diverse forms. Petunia flowers range from those with a singlecolor to those having patterns of various shapes with a different colorfrom the background color. Generally, petunia varieties having flowerswith such patterns are more popular than varieties having single-colorflowers. In particular, varieties having flowers with marginal patternshave high market value.

However, petunias favor a relatively mild climate and tend to besensitive to the photoperiod. As a result, there are instances where theplants do not fully flower when daylight hours are short due to a longrain in the summer. As such, there is a need to develop a petuniavariety which is excellent in cold resistance and resistance to rain.

The present invention meets this need and the object of the presentinvention is to provide a novel variety of petunia (Petunia hybrida)which is excellent in cold resistance and resistance to rain and whichhas beautiful flowers with margins.

Breeding of `Magic Star` was conducted from 1996 to 1997 in Oaza-Idei,Oyama, Tochigi, Japan and Norwich Road, Foxley, Dereham, Norfolk NR204SS, United Kingdom, as follows:

A seedling designated MS-01 (unpatented) possessed by the presentapplicant was self-pollinated in Apr. 1996, and self-fertilized seedswere obtained in May 1996 in a greenhouse of Japan Tobacco Inc., locatedin Oaza-Idei, Oyama, Tochigi, Japan. MS-01 bears vivid reddish purple(ISCC-NBS) (Japanese Horticultural Standard color chart number (J.H.S.)9207, Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart number (R.H.S.) 72B)flowers having yellowish white (J.H.S. 3301, or between R.H.S. 155B and158C) marginal patterns.

The self-pollinated seeds were sown in August 1996 and cultivated in agreenhouse located at Norwich Road, Foxley, Dereham, Norfolk NR20 4SS,United Kingdom, and as a result, they flowered in December 1996.

The selected plant was excellent in plant information with a number oflarge flowers having yellowish white margins distinct from thebackground color of bright red purple. The selected plant was multipliedvia vegetative reproduction using cuttings of the selected plant fromJanuary 1997 in a greenhouse. After multiplied plants were temporarilyplanted in March 1997 in pots in a greenhouse, they were transplanted tothe open field in April 1997 in Norwich Road, Foxley, Dereham, NorfolkNR20 4SS, United Kingdom.

The characteristics of `Magic Star`, including the heat, rain, cold andpest resistance, were examined in the open field in June 1997, and thehomogeneity and stability were confirmed thereby completing thebreeding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This petunia is characterized by having excellent cold resistance andresistance to rain and by bearing beautiful flowers with margins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the whole of the present petunia plant.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The growth type is spreading, and the height is medium (20 to 30 cm).The number of primary branches is high, but the number of secondarybranches is medium.

The thickness of the stem is medium (3 to 4 mm), and the quantity of thepubescence on the stem is also medium. The stem is moderate yellow greenin color (J.H.S. 3712 or 3513, R.H.S. 137D). The length of the internodeis short (1 to 2 cm), and the color of the leaf ranges from yellowishgreen to green. The shape of the leaf is lanceolate and the leaf isborne horizontally. The length of the leaf is medium (8 to 9 cm), andthe width of the leaf is also medium (3 to 4.5 cm). The branch length is20 to 30 cm. Leaves are held alternately in the juvenile growth phase,but switch to opposite phyllotaxy in the reproductive growth phase. Thepresent petunia has no leaf pubescence.

The color of the upper and lower surfaces of the foliage ranges frommoderate yellow green to dark olive green (J.H.S. 3707, 3712, or 3513,R.H.S. 137D).

The present petunia has no readily visible veins.

The flower is a single-petaled large flower of 8 to 9.5 cm in diameter,and the color of the flower is vivid reddish purple (J.H.S. 9206, R.H.S.74A), with yellowish white margins (J.H.S. 3301, or between R.H.S. 155Band 158C). The color of the flower throat is a dark purple (J.H.S. 8609,R.H.S. 83A) stripe on a pale purple pink (J.H.S. 8902, R.H.S. 76D)background. The color of the outer side of the petals is yellowish white(J.H.S. 3301, or between R.H.S. cc 155B and 158C). The color of theunderside of the petals is light purple (J.H.S. 8603, R.H.S. 84B). Theflower buds are a moderate reddish purple (J.H.S. 8913, R.H.C. 79D). Thewidth of the margin coloration ranges from 1 to 30 mm depending onfeeding and cultural control. The margin width increases when nutrientlevels are low. The lobation of the petal is medium and the wavinessthereof is also medium. The relative position of the pistil and stamensis either "even" (that is, the pistil is as tall as the stamens) or"concave" (that is, the pistil is shorter than the stamens). The colorof the pistil is vivid yellow green (J.H.S. 3705, R.H.S. 143B). Theflowers have 1 pistil and 5 stamen. The flowers have 5 anthers having anelliptical shape and a dark greenish yellow color (J.H.S. 9212, R.H.S.152C). The length and width of the peduncle are respectively 15-20 mmand about 2 mm. The shape of the calyx is typical of petunia and thecalyx is medium in size. The corollas of the flowers are not entirelyjoined and there are lobations in the joints. The edge of the corollasweakly wave. The flowers open slanting upward in relation to the foliageand have an overall upward slant. The flowers have little fragrance.

The flowering period is classified as being medium to being late.Flowering time of the present petunia is from the beginning of May tothe beginning of November in the United Kingdom. The flowers open at thebeginning of May if a cutting made at the beginning of February istemporarily planted in a pot in March and then planted in a field in theU.K. at the beginning of April. The flowers open ten weeks after thecutting if the plant is grown indoors under appropriate conditions. Thepresent petunia grows more slowly than `Surfinia Purple` (unpatented)and its flowering time is about 10 days behind that of `SurfiniaPurple`. The number of blooms of the present petunia is about from 60 to70 per plant.

Cold resistance, heat resistance, resistance to rain and resistance todisease are strong. Heat, rain and pest resistance are the same as thatof the petunia variety `Surfinia Purple`. Cold resistance is strongerthan that of `Surfinia Purple`. The present petunia continues to floweruntil the beginning of November while `Surfinia Purple`, which is ageneral petunia variety stops flowering towards the end of October.

Although the present petunia is similar to a petunia variety named`Surfinia Purple`, both of them are distinguished in that `SurfiniaPurple` has flowers of a single color of bright red purple whereas thepresent petunia has flowers with yellowish white margins in thebackground color of bright red purple.

The present petunia and the parent cultivar are different in flowercolor. The flower color of the present petunia is vivid reddish purple(J.H.S. 9206, R.H.S. 74A), while the flower color of the parent cultivaris vivid reddish purple (J.H.S. 9207, corresponding to R.H.S. 72B).

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct petunia plant named `Magic Star`substantially shown and described herein.